Tanzania Must Not Fence In the Proud, Cattle-Herding Masai

Published: November 3, 1989

To the Editor:

As each day shows more about the wholesale slaughter of the elephant, the imminent demise of aquatic animals and the possible extinction of nearly all exotic wildlife, I die a little too. Shouldn't we all? After reading your Loiborsoit Journal from Tanzania, which asks if the fate of the semi-nomadic Masai people is at last to be fenced in (news story, Oct. 16), I was horrified to learn that Tanzania is encouraging subjugation and ultimate obliteration of some of its oldest and noblest inhabitants, the once free and beautiful Masai.

Now they are supposed to be farmers. They know nothing of farming. They are nomadic herdsmen and once intrepid warriors. The herdsmen have become the herded. Your photo, showing Masai languishing around a mud hut, is a loathsome and grim reminder of what can happen to the cultural integrity of any people.

When I lived in Nairobi in the 1960's, I went to sleep each night with the far-off sound of drums in my ears, and I was happy. I naively thought that the political winds of change rippling across the continent could never change the true Africa. Somehow, a healthy respect for the balance of nature would be maintained, and the land would remain free and green forever. It now seems clear that human greed in every country takes priority over land, animals and people alike. What used to be green is a dust bowl. What used to roam free is bound for museums and zoos. One morning, while camping near Mount Kilimanjaro, I was awakened from a deep sleep by a rustling in my tent. I looked straight into the inquisitive face of a Masai, who was standing on one leg, staring at me. It was the first time I ever saw one. He happened to be around the camp, curiously wandered in and scared me half to death.

I was new to East Africa. I hadn't learned that even the air belonged to those magnificent tribesmen, or at least they thought so. By the time I left the continent, years later, I was in love with the place, the animals and the people. They were part of Africa, and Africa was part of them.

What kind of legacy are we leaving of our century on this planet? If we are being examined by visitors from beyond the stars, is it any wonder they come infrequently and leave quickly? SUSAN SCHARFMAN New York, Oct. 17, 1989